44 posts in this topic Last Reply September 21

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My very favorite course in the upper Midwest, The Harvester in Rhodes, IA.

I called there a few weeks ago to book a weekend later this summer. Only to find out that the course is closed for the summer 2018 to undergo renovation and opening back up as a Private course in 2019.

The nine hole course I where I learned to play in the mid 60s (Fairfield Country Club in Winnsboro SC) closed about four years ago. There are eight near Charlotte NC, where I now live, that have closed in the last decade. Also, there are four or five in Central Florida, where I vacation twice a year, that have closed in the last five or six years. I hope this trend ends soon. I belong to a club that is very stable, but I enjoy playing good public tracts from time to time. I guess this is happening due to some over-building in the 90s and a decline in overall golf participation brought on by the recession.

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I live in the greater Lansing, Michigan area. We have lost 3 Lansing municipal courses - Red Cedar, Sycamore and Waverly. Also Players Club in Lansing, Four Winds in East Lansing, Chardell in Bath, and Highland Hills in DeWitt. There are a number of other courses in Michigan that have closed in the last 10 years or so.

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There was a small 9 hole course in Oak Creek, WI where I played often. The owner kept it in excellent shape and it always seemed busy. There were no holes which were very difficult for a scratch player, but as I was a novice, it was fine for me. As well, the Yahara Hills course in Madison, WI is slated for closure. I played it often when I lived there. Long with many older tress which were part of the initial build. Learned to really play a driver there and generally improved my wood game (played true persimmons at the time). I had a well known golf pro find amusement in the 1 iron I owned. Also learned to cut down on my use of invectives there as they did not improve my last shot!

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Hawthorn Hills in my hometown here. Was one of the best courses in the area, but it went under several years ago. From what I understand is it needed the irrigation system overhauled and the clubhouse/restaurant needed torn down and rebuilt due to mold or something. Unfortunately, the company that bought it also bought 4 other local courses and the didn't have the profits to do all that work and keep them all open.

There is also Aliso Viejo Country Club in my neighborhood. It's still around and thriving AFAIK, however, a decade ago it was a 27 hole public Jack Nicklaus design until they razed 9 of the holes to add more homes.

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Lake Wright golf course in Norfolk, VA. It was a city course for 49 years before they sold it to a a very obviously unnecessary outlet shops development, which it is now.

Played my first ever round here with friends from work back in 2004. Sad to see it go but as with many city courses country wide, this was coming for at least 5 years prior with declining interest and large cash offer by the developer. It seems like the outlet shops mall which has been open for over a year now seems to be very patronage challenged too. 😐

Texas National in my hometown. Was a great course in its heyday, even had write ups about it in various golf magazines about it being great homage to Augusta. It wasn’t that special anymore when I started playing it in the early 2000s, but it was still a great track. Condition declined severely to the point where in 2013 my buddy and I were paying $20 bucks for all day play with a cart. It officially closed in 2014 or 2015. They could never get enough money to keep the place up to its original standards. I can still remember every bit of the front nine, and most of the back.

I'd heard Texas National had closed, I played there quite a bit in the early 80's. It wasn't a great track, but it was someplace we could always get a couple of tee times and Bob Payne (club pro and maybe part owner) was a great guy. I saw Charlie Sifford there a couple of times, chomping on a cigar and telling great stories.
Waterwood outside Huntsville also closed, although I've heard that some of the owners are trying to keep it playable. That was a challenging track, but it struggled to find player support.

18 hours ago, chipper2 said:

I live in the greater Lansing, Michigan area. We have lost 3 Lansing municipal courses - Red Cedar, Sycamore and Waverly. Also Players Club in Lansing, Four Winds in East Lansing, Chardell in Bath, and Highland Hills in DeWitt. There are a number of other courses in Michigan that have closed in the last 10 years or so.

I'm pretty sure that Walnut Hills has closed now, the guy who purchased it a couple of years ago wants bulldoze it and put in high density housing. The nearby residents are fighting it as best they can, but the course is no longer being maintained.

And from my hometown, the was a 9-holer called Sparrow Hawk, that expanded to 18 after I moved away. And parts of that land are now commercial property, mostly car dealerships, but you can still see a little bit of the course if you were to drive by.

Several years ago I discovered that the course in WI, where my golf journey had begun, had been sold and was no longer in operation. A lot of memories plowed under by a bulldozer.

Just one. I got to the Hudson Town Course (Hudson, WI) once, the summer it was being closed. Found a nice 2H on clearance there. Played it just the one time. Lots of blind tee shots - really a course one would prefer to play a 2nd time once you know the hidden hazards are there.

Never got a logo ball from that course. It was a sister course to a couple in the area.

There was a small 9 hole course in Oak Creek, WI where I played often. The owner kept it in excellent shape and it always seemed busy. There were no holes which were very difficult for a scratch player, but as I was a novice, it was fine for me. As well, the Yahara Hills course in Madison, WI is slated for closure. I played it often when I lived there. Long with many older tress which were part of the initial build. Learned to really play a driver there and generally improved my wood game (played true persimmons at the time). I had a well known golf pro find amusement in the 1 iron I owned. Also learned to cut down on my use of invectives there as they did not improve my last shot!

Man, I hate to hear they are closing Yahara Hills. That was my home course when I lived in Madison, from before high school through my early 20s. I still use headcovers that I bought there before my sophomore year of h.s.

Where I live now, two significant courses have closed within the last few years...the city owned Z-Boaz Municipal which had been in operation since the 1930s and was literally right across the street from the golf shop I managed, so we snuck over there many nights after work to get in as many holes as we could before dark, and the famous Glen Garden Country Club where Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson used to caddie when they were kids closed in 2014 after more than a century. It's now the site of a whiskey distillery.

the famous Glen Garden Country Club where Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson used to caddie when they were kids closed in 2014 after more than a century. It's now the site of a whiskey distillery.

Thanks for this Badger. Glen Garden holds many memories. My first and only hole in one. Played money games with The Dozen where I learned to get the ball in the hole fast or lose all my $$$; and the Shambley Group where I learned to respect the older golfers" games. The movie of Dan Jenkins' "Dead Solid Perfect" opens with scenes of Glen Garden before the clubhouse burned. The course was one of the oldest in Fort Worth. It was designed by John Bredemus who originally designed Colonial. RIP, old friend. -Marv

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Not played one that has been closed but currently play one due to be closed. Bradley Park, one of the courses i play and practice at. It was bought by the local council a few years ago and they spent around £1M in upgrading the facilities. Its a great course that i can play for £19 on a weekend so great value.

Council have decided to build 2000 houses on it so it closes in 4 years. Shame as the locals now have to travel further to play golf and the folks who live around the course will have to put up with years of building works.

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Target Golf: a combination driving range and 9 hole par 3 located within the city limits of Athens, Georgia. It's condos now. I played there religiously...logging over 1000 holes in the couple years it was in operation.

Yikes. I was thinking of that course when I saw this thread this morning and I went to look it up. First time I ever attended a professional golf tournament was at that course. Played it a few times, including with you. And it's convenient now because it's on my drive when I go visit my parents. Well... would be convenient if it still existed.

Yikes. I was thinking of that course when I saw this thread this morning and I went to look it up. First time I ever attended a professional golf tournament was at that course. Played it a few times, including with you. And it's convenient now because it's on my drive when I go visit my parents. Well... would be convenient if it still existed.

Glad you noticed- I meant to tag you and mike and Tristan in that post and forgot lol.

St. Louis golf historian Jim Healey reports that, since golf started in St. Louis circa 1898, more than 40 courses have faded away. For interesting account, see StL Courses Lost.

I had played several of these StL ghost courses:

Crystal Lakes CC. Part of the (tiny) city of Crystal Lakes Park, the semi-private operated from 1929 to 1979. Curious old-style 36 + 34 = 70 layout, with front nine about 400 yards longer than the back. Served as Meramec Community College golf team's home course circa 1970. It got subdivided, as I found out circa 1983 when I was visiting home and decided to go play it, only I couldn't find it!

Southmoor GC. A public course in south St. Louis Co., it was down to nine holes when I played it in the 1970s; course had lots of league play. Two solid par 4s highlighted the round, before it got subdivided.

Duwe GC. (Operated as Lakewood GC at end). Short, fun course popular with women and beginners and those needing a golfing morale boost. Now the site of St. Clare Hospital; at time of sale, the course was largest undeveloped plot of land in south county.

Creve Coeur GC. Now reduced to a nine-hole course, it sets aside a business park. The original 18-hole layout stretched to about 6,600 yds., the longest public course in the area. It was popular among golfers who wanted to develop their game. A curious par 70 that closed with back-to-back par 5s.

Westhaven Course. A Belleville, IL., nine-holer affiliated with the local Elk's lodge.The owners had discussed me running it for them during the summer, but their kids talked them into subdividing. It played to par 35: eight par 4s and a par 3, a bit boring as one patron said. I was going to propose this change: swap two par 4s - No. 9 too tight - for a par 3 and par 5. But the sale closed before I could.

Edited July 14 by WUTigerCorrect picture break.

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Carmel Mtn Ranch GC just closed in the San Diego area. Couldn’t afford the water, couldn’t get hooked up to the recycled water system for some reason. That didn’t make sense because the freeway near by waters the medians with recycled water all the time so the source is nearby

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It’s a great method for all you great ball strikers. But when you’re hitting over 200 balls with massive fats, smother shanks along with deep divots to begin with...it doesn’t really matter...you’re making a mess. This is why I always lay down the seed/sand mixture when I’m done.

Again… If you enjoy playing your way, by all means, have at it. I'm approaching this as a coach, an instructor, and the author of a book dealing with exactly this stuff as if you were asking me how to shoot the lowest scores and play your best golf.
It is not by hitting irons only.
I wrote the topic. Suffice to say I've read it. Your good and bad swings are consistent. If you were "inconsistent" you'd have rounds where you shoot 72 and others where you shoot 110. You're consistent enough that you tend to shoot a pretty narrow range of scores.
It does no such thing. Comparing racing high-powered race cars to hitting the driver? Fail. Hell, a 2-iron would be the last club I'd put in the hands of a new golfer, and a driver is one of the easier ones - the ball is in the air (you're not hitting it off the ground), it has a huge club face, etc.
Not if you want to shoot the lowest scores. Obviously there are "other options." You could play golf hitting every shot with your putter ten feet at a time. Pretty stupid way to play, but it's "another option."
He did it by learning to hit driver.
No, not bollocks to me. Driving is about twice as important as putting. Approach shots are almost three times as important.
These are facts. The short game and putting only account for about 33% of the differences in your score. If I had you hit every shot of mine inside of 60 yards and every putt, you'd break 80. If we switched roles, I would probably not shoot more than about three to six shots better than you're shooting now.
The old saying was wrong. It is almost exactly backward. Driving and approach shots are the skills with the highest "Separation Value®."

The point I was making is… if the rules limited golf equipment more than they did… people would still be buying new clubs and new balls.
So I don't see how it's "all about the money" and you haven't made that point at all.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback, it definitely gives me a lot to think about and work on!
I know my swing is poor, but I’m very motivated to improve. I’m also going to re-start lessons in January.
I’m aiming for an update here every couple weeks so you guys can keep me on track—and I appreciate brutal honesty!!